Let Me Be Your Sword
by Umidunnostuff
Summary: Tsukiyama Shuu works as a Secret Service member in a high class apartment complex for the wealthy yokai descendants of the world. His charge, Kaneki Ken, instantly catches his attention, and as such, Tsukiyama does everything he can to get him in bed. As the partnership of protector and protected progresses, Tsukiyamas feelings could go beyond mere physical attraction.
1. Chapter 1

Tsukiyama Shuu observed the new tenant to the building covertly from the garden. He was short, only around five foot six, and absolutely beautiful. He walked with measured grace and well contained power, beautifully counteracted by a downturned face and thick book clutched protectively in front of him. The short boy was clearly uncomfortable, as neighborhood members that passed by gave him looks and gossiped about the new tenant in the high class manor. His eyes, only visible behind snowy white bangs when he lifted his head to speak briefly with the movers, were a soft misty grey, barely meeting the eyes of those he spoke too, with faint bruised purple rings underneath them, standing out against porcelain skin, and countered by sooty dark eyelashes. He was, in a word, beautiful. Tsukiyama wanted him.

Tsukiyama himself was also beautiful, all long limbs and elegant movements. His gestures were expansive and graceful, and facial features were perfectly proportioned. Had he decided to, Tsukiyama could have been a model. Of course there was no need for any kind of work, considering his family, but he took a job, one that only he and a select few could serve. Tsukiyama served as an secret service agent for a tenant in the high class apartment building that the boy was moving into. He would, in fact be this boys own personal SS. The apartment building had very strict standards for entry. The first of which is large amounts of money, and family influence. The second was slightly more unorthodox. Every tenant in the building contained yokai blood, and through that, power, to an extent. The stronger were given the option to act as secret service people to the weaker tenants for a substantial salary.

Tsukiyama and the Tsukiyama family in and of itself, carried the blood of a kitsune, which had had a child with some ancestor of his generations in the past. Generally those families that passed on yokai blood tended to become prosperous and wealthy, and every generation a new incarnation of the demons power was reborn. The new tenant would be no different, and based on the aura of power he exuded from his small frame, his was of substantial relevance. Tsukiyama felt warmth running through his body as he feasted his eyes on the little creature before him. Being beautiful himself, Tsukiyama tended to crave others that matched that, and this boy certainly did. He was as mysterious and powerful as the new moon and Tsukiyama could already tell that he would be more interesting than anyone else he had ever had the pleasure to be with. A sly grin curled across his face as he imagined the boy, nude and flushed underneath him. What Tsukiyama wanted, he got. Seeing the boy begin to head into the building to begin unpacking, he decided to make his acquaintance.

Approaching the previously vacant room at a leisurely pace, so at odds with his own anticipation, Tsukiyama raised a fist to knock delicately at the door, when it opened before him. The boys soft grey eyes turned upwards to look at him, face kept carefully blank, but through the veil Tsukiyama could see a hint of uncertainty. Perhaps the boy was a little bit awkward? How cute. He adjusted the reading glasses perched on a delicately upturned nose and finally spoke in a soft, scholarly tone.

"Yes? Did you need something sir?" He cocked his head, rustling the soft white locks atop his head and making Tsukiyama want to run his hands through them. He quickly cleared his mind of such thoughts and threw on his most charming smile.

"Yes, you see I am the SS agent appointed to this apartment, and I had hoped to make your acquaintance!" He said, radiating false exuberance.

"Oh, I do remember hearing something along those lines. Would you like to come in then?" The boy flushed slightly as he stepped aside to let Tsukiyama into the bare apartment. "I'm afraid I don't have anything to offer you at the moment because I just moved in," he said, turning his head awkwardly.

"Non, non my friend, it is my fault for imposing," said Tsukiyama, making wide flourishing gestures with his hands. "I merely wished to meet the one who's life I would be defending. I am Tsukiyama Shuu, and you are?"

"Kaneki Ken. It is nice to meet you Tsukiyama-san. However you seem to not have received the instructions regarding me," Tsukiyama glanced down in surprise at those words, surprised to see a hint of steel in the set of the boys jaw and in his grey eyes. "I am strong enough to defend myself, too strong. My SS would have to accompany me, assist me should danger appear, and put me down should I lose control of myself." He said those words so icily that Tsukiyama examined his face carefully to make sure that it was the same gentle boy he had met mere minutes ago.

After a brief hesitation, Tsukiyama responded "as you wish, Kaneki-kun. I shall act as your sword, be it for protection, or... Otherwise. Is it alright if I call you Kaneki-kun?" He left the inquiry as to an explanation for the unusual orders unspoken, and Kaneki did the same with the answer, instead answering the spoken question, once again in gentle quiet tones.

"You can call me whatever you like Tsukiyama-San." He turned away slightly now, offering a slightly apologetic smile to Tsukiyama, which of course was breathtakingly attractive on his face. Tsukiyama fought back another wave of desire at the sight of a new expression, and focused on the words being spoken.

"I need to unpack, and I am sure you have things to get to, Tsukiyama-san. It was nice to make your acquaintance."

Tsukiyama hesitated, wanting to prolong his contact with his newest infatuation. "Perhaps I could assist you, then?"

Kaneki looked startled, and his slender, bony fingers came up to tug at his bangs almost on reflex.

"If you want to, I would appreciate it. Once we find the kettle and cups I can make you tea like a proper host." A smile still lingered faintly on his face, a light flush across his cheekbones as he turned to pull a box from the top of the stack. Tsukiyama followed eagerly, and as they unloaded he bumped shoulders, brushed fingers, and just in general attempted to achieve as much contact with the smaller man as was possible without being considered discourteous. Chatter filled the air, mostly Tsukiyama, with Kaneki answering any direct questions towards him. The only time Kaneki became truly animated was when Tsukiyama unearthed a box of old horror novels, each thick enough to act as a doorstop and well worn from many read throughs.

Seeing that it was his books that held much of Kanekis interest, that was what Tsukiyama kept the conversation on once they found the kettle and cups. Through some gentle nudging, he got Kaneki to reveal that he would be attending university as literature major, and also got to see a beautiful range of facial expressions, each more enticing than the next, and even heard part of a laugh, quickly stifled, but iridescent and tinkling enough to make Tsukiyama stare.

When Tsukiyama left the apartment, well into the evening to head back to his own, he was well and truly infatuated. If he had wanted Kaneki before, now he absolutely had to have him, and what Tsukiyama wanted, Tsukiyama got.

A/N: So this au is based largely on the anime Inu x Boku SS. All of the characters will be Tokyo ghoul though. I have been sucked into the black hole of shuuneki. Please leave me feedback, it would make me very happy. I'm not sure if I was able to characterize them properly so if it seems wrong please say so.


	2. Chapter 2

Once he was sure he was alone, Kaneki sighed, collapsing into a newly unpacked armchair and reaching for his novel. It was tiring dealing with the exuberant man for hours on end, especially with his carefully veiled advances and expressions of interest. Kaneki's mind was racing, full of thoughts of the purple haired SS agent, Tsukiyama. He wasn't sure of how trustworthy the man was, as his smiles, while gorgeous and radiant, held a predatory edge that Kaneki didn't like. His eyes were hungry. This was nothing new to Kaneki, the hunger, for access to his wealth or power, and the familiar twist in his gut told him not to trust Tsukiyama, at least until his honest intentions came out. His thoughts wandered down a slightly different path now. Tsukiyama was the sort to use favors and flattery to get what he wanted, the type to give people gifts and gilded words until they submitted. Considering his connections, as long as Tsukiyama considered him interesting, he would be a useful asset.

Kaneki set down his book and got a fresh cup of tea, checking over his university class schedule. He would have to tour the area tomorrow.

For breakfast the next morning, Kaneki bought food from the cafe on the ground floor of the building, because he had nothing in his apartment at the moment. As he yawned and rubbed at his eyes, sitting alone in the dining space, Tsukiyama descended into the room gracefully, radiant and hard to miss with his brightly colored suit and hair. Kaneki approached him, slightly reluctantly and still clinging to coffee.

"Tsukiyama-san, are you free today?" He asked in a low voice, half hoping that the SS would say no.

"Of course, Kaneki-kun! Do you require my assistance?" Was the response, accompanied by the same gleaming smile and expansive hand gestures as the day before. Tsukiyama was obnoxiously chipper considering the time of day.

"Yes. I'm not familiar with this area yet, and I'm about to start school here, so I was hoping that perhaps I could have you show me around a little. I also need to stop by the nearest grocery store." Said Kaneki, eying the taller man hopefully.

"Why of course! How could I leave you to flounder all on your own! Assisting in your daily activities does fall under my jurisdiction as your SS," Jesus Christ he just keeps getting louder. Kaneki leveled a slight glare at him, before sighing "thank you Tsukiyama-san."

On their outing, Tsukiyama played the part of tour guide magnificently, pointing out everything relevant and a few things that weren't, all the while with the same endearing smile plastered to his face. Kaneki for his part curled deeper into his dark sweater, not pleased with how much attention they garnered from passers-by. He did end up enjoying himself more than he liked to admit, because for all his flamboyant gestures, Tsukiyama was an intelligent, well read, and incredibly charismatic person.

After Kaneki was able to get his bearings, Tsukiyama led him to a coffee shop, and Kaneki already loved it. The warm place seemed friendly and quiet, and the bookshelves along one wall called out to him. Both of them preferred to drink black coffee, which fascinated Tsukiyama and frustrated Kaneki. The coffee was also incredible, and Kaneki was loathe to admit that it would probably become one of his favorite places. He was still hoping to maintain distance from the desperately alluring but not quite trustworthy SS agent before him and sharing the same favorite haunts would not help this along.

After finally getting Tsukiyama to stop waxing poetic about the beauty of blooming friendship, Kaneki was able to coax them back to the apartment building as dusk crept in. Upon entering the ground floor cafe, which he was quickly realizing served as something of a common space for the residents of the building, he was able to have his first encounter with some other tenants of the building. A pair of girls was already there, seated and chatting between themselves amiably. One, a slender, beautiful girl with sharp features and dramatic bangs across one eye, glowered openly at Tsukiyama, whilst the lighter haired, curvier girl observed Kaneki openly but without malice. The dark haired girl stalked over to them, and finally seemed to notice Kaneki.

"So you're the new tenant on the third floor then?" She asked, looking him up and down. Despite being slightly shorter than Kaneki, she seemed to be doing her best to stare down her nose at him.

"Yes, I'm Kaneki Ken. Nice to meet you," was all he answered, giving her a smell smile, and ignoring her rudeness. Enemies were not something that Kaneki needed at this point.

"Touka Kirishima." She said curtly, unsmiling and the other girl approached, smiling at Kaneki in a friendly manner.

"I'm Yoriko Kosaka, nice to meet you," she held out her hand and Kaneki accepted it, smiling wider despite himself.

"So you're the one who got saddled with him as your SS?" Asked Touka, gesturing at Tsukiyama.

"Now Touka-chan, just because you don't like me is no reason to try and turn Kaneki against me when we barely know each other." Tsukiyama's face was morphing from his carefully measured smile into a predatory smirk as he observed the girl. She snorted at this, and turned back to Kaneki.

"I've known this guy for years. Watch yourself, new guy," she said warningly, openly glaring at Tsukiyama.

"Touka-chan, if you stopped glowering so you would be so beautiful," said Tsukiyama. "I mean no harm towards Kaneki-kun, or indeed even you."

Kaneki, having had enough of the tense atmosphere of the room, decided to escape. "It was nice to meet you, Kirishima-San, Kosaka-san. I'm getting tired, so I am heading back to my room." With this he turned on his heel and headed towards the elevator. He was caught off guard to hear footsteps follow him, and hear the cheerful "ciao" behind him, and Tsukiyama joined him in the elevator. The entire walk there, he felt Kirishimas eyes burning a hole in his back.

As they exited the elevator, Tsukiyama lingered a moment in the hallway, positioning himself such that Kaneki was forced to as well. "I enjoyed our day together, Kaneki-kun. I do hope we can do it again sometime." A hand came to rest on his shoulder and Tsukiyama was perhaps standing slightly closer than was necessary. There was a brief moment of pressure and warmth behind the hand, before it slid off and Tsukiyama was gliding down the hallway, calling a lingering 'farewell' over his shoulder.

Kaneki returned to his room, tired and desperately wishing that he was less susceptible to Tsukiyama's carefully manufactured charms. He buried himself in his unfinished novel, using the distraction of elegant descriptions of horror and gore to clear his mind and shore up his emotional defenses.

A/N: here's chapter 2! I am always nervous when I write for TG because the characters are so complex and I worry about oversimplifying them. I am having a lot of fun with this fic though! Any feedback or comments you have to offer would be really appreciated! Thank you for reading my story.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Kaneki was able to cook for himself in the apartment, due to the shopping he had done the day before, and ended up down in the cafe lounge quite a bit later than he had before. This time, though, the place was far from deserted. There were maybe fifteen people in the room, and considering how large the apartments were in comparison to the building, that was probably most if not all of the tenants. He recognized Touka and Yoriko from the day before, and Tsukiyama was speaking to a woman and a girl who must have been her daughter of around thirteen.

As Kaneki walked further into the room, Tsukiyama spotted him and glided over, pausing to snag the attention of an elderly man, and the two made their way over.

"Hello, Kaneki-san. I'm Yoshimura, the buildings owner. I am sorry that I didn't greet you when you first moved in." Yoshimura said, friendly and gracious, but also formidable in a way. The older man owned the building, and had taken it upon himself to house and protect all of these people of yokai blood peacefully. Kaneki knew that this place had wards and other things to protect them, who were more at rush of yokai attack, and he could only think that they were set by this man. He was old, but powerful and wise, and Kaneki could tell that he was not to be trifled with.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance." Kaneki bowed respectfully.

"Since you are here now I think you should take this time to become acquainted with the other tenants. Those in our community should take it upon ourselves to look after each other." The words were genial, but carried an undertone of 'if you will not stand with us you are against us'. Thankfully Kaneki was entirely willing to stand with them.

"I had been meaning too. I've just been adjusting to life here. Tsukiyama-San has helped me to adjust, and I met Kirishima-San and Kohsaka-San yesterday." Kaneki said politely. Tsukiyama inclined his head at the mention of his name. Some of the other residents seemed to have taken notice of him. The little girl and her mother were approaching.

"Is he like me too then, mom?" The girl asked, staring shyly at Kaneki from besides her mother. The woman, maybe in her thirties with long chestnut hair and a gentle smile, looked from Hinami to Kaneki.

"Ah, I'm sorry for how blunt she is. Hinami why don't you ask him yourself?" The woman said, nudging the girl forward. "I'm Ryoko Fueguchi and this is Hinami." The girl smiled up at him shyly, before stepping forward.

"Hello, I'm Hinami. Are you a youkai like me?" Hinami repeated her question, eyes wide and innocent as she looked at Kaneki.

"I'm Kaneki Ken. Yes, I have yokai blood like you," he couldn't help but smile gently at the innocence of the girl and the gentle demeanor of the mother. He ignored Tsukiyama openly staring at his face.

Ryoko smiled at him widely. "Hinami got yokai blood, but I didn't, you know how the inheritance is limited to one in a generation, and my sister got it. She died before she had children though, so Hinami ended up inheriting the power. She was quite sheltered by the main family, and so she never had many friends, and never interacted with the community, and of course I couldn't teach her," she turned her gaze back to her daughter. Hinami seemed to have grown bored of the conversation, fidgeting in place, before she retreated with Ryoko.

"Bye Kaneki-San! Bye flower man!" She called, before returning to her breakfast.

Kaneki turned questioningly to Tsukiyama, whom the 'flower man' seemed to be directed at.

"Flower man?"

"Ah well, I couldn't help but bring young miss Hinami flowers whenever we happened to meet. I guess the name stuck," said Tsukiyama, smiling down at Kaneki.

Yoshimura, who had left while while Kaneki was meeting Ryoko and Hinami, was once again headed towards him, this time with another pair of men in tow. One was truly odd looking, with many tattoos as well as unconventional hair. The other man was substantially less unusual looking, with silver hair and a small amount of scruffy facial hair.

"This is Uta and Yomo. They are the most long standing tenants here, and some trusted friends and helpers of mine. Come to them for help if ever you need it" Yoshimura said genially in introduction. Yomo nodded silently, seeming to be the taciturn sort, but Uta walked straight up to Kaneki, almost uncomfortably close.

"Kaneki-San, it is nice to meet you. You are... Yamata no Orochi, correct?" He asked, keeping an unsettlingly blank face and extending a hand in front of him. Kaneki, who had been in the midst of accepting the proffered hand, reeled backwards in surprise. This odd man, who he had barely met, had just guessed an incredibly personal, and private, detail about him. Kaneki distanced himself a little, and Uta smirked ever so slightly, just a quirk of the lips that could express amusement, before it melted into something more genuine and he extended his hand further.

Kaneki took it and shook warily, hoping that Uta couldn't feel the slight tremor. He made polite conversation for a bit, and met a few other people. There was a boy a little older than him and his girlfriend. Apparently he was attending the same university Kaneki would, in the pharmacy department. They were polite but distant, and Kaneki found himself growing tired of all the smiling and shaking hands.

Deciding to escape, Kaneki checked that Tsukiyama was still occupied, talking to Hinami in a theatrical manner, greeted Yoshimura and thanked him one last time, and slipped out alone. The lounge was warm and cozy, but around a large amount of people it became stuffy and uncomfortable. He relished the breeze that ruffled his hair as he strode down the buildings steps.

As he wandered, he came across an outdoor cafe on a back road that he hadn't been able to visit on his tour the day before. Deciding that a coffee was in order, ordered and sat himself down, borrowing a book from a shelf that was available to people to browse. As he was getting engrossed in his novel, a figure passing by his chair caught his attention. A woman, with long purple hair in a vaguely familiar shade, sat down on a table nearby, settling her flowing skirts as she sat, and pulled out a book, pouting her pink lips and adjusting glasses delicately. She glanced up, catching his eye over the top of her book, and smiled at him. Kaneki blushed profusely and buried his nose in his book, sneaking glances awkwardly at the girl, in between sips of coffee and pages of a novel. He scolded himself inwardly for thinking about something like this when he was about to become obscenely busy with school, but he couldn't help but glance at her again. She caught his eye and smiled at him again, before getting up and making her way over to him. Kaneki's chest seized as she opened her mouth to greet him, face flushing to increasing levels. He really needed to get a grip.

A/N: I'm gonna end this here. Lol sort-of cliffhanger. Anyways thank you for reading! Please leave me comments, they would make me very happy. Critiques, suggestions or comments are all welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

Tsukiyama was unperturbed when he noticed Kaneki taking off, after all he was an adult and he had his own responsibilities. At the same time, he did wish that he had thought to tell Tsukiyama. The best way for Tsukiyama to grow closer to the shorter man would be to cultivate some trust, but it was seeming like Kaneki would make that difficult. He did grow worried as the hours rolled on, his instincts telling him something was amiss. As dusk rolled around, Tsukiyama decided to leave to find Kaneki. Privacy be damned, he was Kaneki's SS and he would protect him.

Exiting then building, Tsukiyama expanded his senses, searching for the sweet scent of his charge. Kaneki isn't too far, which is lucky because it's only been two days, not nearly often enough for Tsukiyama to get familiar with his smell, intoxicating though it may be. He followed the trail, thankful for the abilities of the fox in helping him find Kaneki. He had found the more animalistic traits fairly inelegant, and disliked using them often, but he had to admit that they were useful. As he ran around searching for Kaneki, Tsukiyama's mind wandered, wondering what could keep him out this late. He considered the possibility of him visiting a romantic partner, and was hit with a pang of jealousy. Kaneki was his, even if he didn't know it yet.

He kept an eye on the sun, and watched as the sky slid into deeper shades of purple. It was getting more dangerous as the minutes inched on. Tsukiyama was torn from his introspection by a loud, animalistic shriek, as well as a strong waft of Kaneki's scent, tinged with blood. As he skidded around a corner, he caught sight of Kaneki engaged in a battle with a Jorogumo yokai, a large spider with the face and body of a beautiful woman. It's face was human, but twisted in a red-lipped, malicious grin stretched too far across, like a knife slash, revealing hundreds of needle like teeth.

Kaneki was injured, blood streaking his hair, dirtying it's beautiful purity, and he had long silken threads wrapped around his limbs and digging in. His appearance was also somewhat changed. His eyes flashed red and slitted, and thought he snarl on his lips Tsukiyama could see sharp teeth. His skin had also taken on a scaly texture, especially around the hands, where his nails had extended into long claws, stained with blood both old and new. The aura of demonic power around him was so bloodthirsty and oppressive that any human would have passed out on the spot.

Tsukiyama took in the scenery, immediately taking on the form that accompanied his yokai abilities. Nine tails sprouted from his tailbone, and he became swathed in traditional Japanese clothing. His appearance was noted by Kaneki at this point, who's head swung towards him, turning the full force of his bloodthirsty glare on Tsukiyama.

"Tsukiyama!" Shouted Kaneki, batting the spider away from him and ripping off some scales as the threads on his limbs yanked away. "Keep away! You have to stay away!" He was shouting almost desperately, and it seemed like he was speaking for more of a reads on than to protect him from the spider yokai. His voice was different, higher. It sounded like multiple voices were shrieking all at once, and it was blood chilling and not human.

He chose this moment to run at the demon, dodging eight powerful limbs and multiple threads of silk nimbly. Every moment his movements became faster, more vicious, and less human. He tore off a limb, mindless to the gore that splattered him, and ignored as a string of web tore off a large piece of flesh. He seemed to be moving on some sort of animal instinct, more beast than human, and Tsukiyama felt a twinge of fear deep inside at the gruesome display of savagery. Kaneki, finally finished the fight, rending a massive chunk of flesh and bone from the chest of the spider demon, and when it's limbs continued to strike at him, he tore out the human throat with cold impassivity.

Kaneki stood still in front of the body, hands drenched in blood, and the rest of him splattered with so much gore it was impossible to tell what was his and what came from the demon. His shoulders were heaving, and he still hadn't turned to look at Tsukiyama. The bloodthirsty aura had not dissipate in the least. Tsukiyama walked closer apprehensively, wary now.

"Kaneki-ku-," he was interrupted when Kaneki turned to face him, eyes vulnerable for a moment.

"Tsukiyama kill me..." Was all he was able to say, before the murderous aura skyrocketed, and Tsukiyama staggered back, taking in the transformation before him.

Kaneki's body had ballooned, transforming into a massive dragon, with eight heads on necks as thick as tree trunks, and eight writhing tails. Yamata no Orochi. That was the demon heritage that Kaneki had. Yamata no Orochi, the bloodthirsty eight headed dragon that had eaten seven women before being slain by Susano-o. It roared, loud and high, all heads in unison, and Tsukiyama understood the change in his voice. Eight heads, eight voices. It's attention, for Tsukiyama could not bare to think of this beast as Kaneki, turned to him, and Tsukiyama readied his sword, if only to defend himself.

Attacking one of the heads had terrible results, as Tsukiyama was flung away immediately, landing with a crunch that may have been a rib. The dragon bore down upon him, mouths gaping and revealing jagged teeth and forked tongues. He scrambled back, and made it to his feet, holding his sword with both hands despite the throbbing pain in his side. When it was almost upon him, the nearest head was batted away by a furry paw the size of a serving platter, with claws like ice picks. It was attached to a komainu, a lion dog. The beast was massive, five feet tall at the shoulder, with a bulky body and a head that added at least another foot and a half. It prowled in front of him, and Tsukiyama noticed Uta, the eccentric tenant from the apartment building approaching.

"We could feel the murderous intent all the way from our apartment. Kaneki-San held out quite well considering how difficult Yamata no Orochi is to deal with." He said, standing casually beside Tsukiyama as he darted around, defending from snapping heads and swinging tails, that struck like clubs, as well as claws the length of a sword.

The odd man seemed far too casual to be facing a legendarily bloodthirsty dragon, but when one of the heads a attacked them, he thrust his bare hands clear through the skull, never losing his nonchalant posture.

For some reason, shortly afterward, the dragon sagged in the middle of the fight, despite the fact that only three of the eight heads were dead. After collapsing, it returned to the human form of Kaneki, bare naked and passed out. The wounds were still on his body, as were the bloodstains on his skin and hair. The demonic aura had faded, leaving just a small wiry youth, who looked far younger when vulnerable like this. Tsukiyama was panting, and approached warily. The komainu transformed into Yomo, who approached without hesitation, propping the body up and checking under his eyelids.

"Is Kaneki-kun alright, Yomo-San?" Asked Tsukiyama, crouching and stroking his cool pale cheek. Flakes of dried blood drifted away where he touched.

"He was fighting a Jorogumo, right?"asked Yomo, as short and succinct as usual.

"Yes. Was he bitten?" Jorogumo have potent venom, which could be the reason for Kaneki's current state. Tsukiyama took one of his hands, and felt the sluggish pulse.

"Looks like it. Someone will have to look after him tonight, because depending how resistant he is it could get bad."

"Of course! I am his SS, and so I should be the one to take this responsibility. If I can not protect him with my sword, I shall guard him in his weakened state," said Tsukiyama, falling more into his usual extravagant language.

Yomo wrapped Kaneki in his hoodie, which was large enough to cover the important bits, and led the way back to the apartments. There the three of them forced some medicine down Kaneki's throat, and wrapped up all the major wounds on the passed out boy and themselves. Tsukiyama then let himself into Kaneki's apartment with an emergency key, and set him on the bed.

He sat nearbye, and took in the apartment through heavy eyelids. Fighting had been exhausting, and even with accelerated healing abilities afforded by yokai ancestry, his wounds were still sore. He forced his eyelids open and waited, eyes on the short boy who held his fascination.

A/N: so I'm not sure how great this is because I'm meh at writing action, but oh well. It came out a little longer than usual, but still not super long. Writing Tsukiyama is hard. Anyways thank you for reading! I love you all dear readers, and please comment or critique it would make me very happy!


	5. Chapter 5

After drifting off on Kaneki's couch, despite how hard he fought it, Tsukiyama was rudely awakened by scuffling and whimpering from the adjacent bedroom. As Tsukiyama listened, still half asleep, he was jerked into alertness by a shriek of pure terror of pain. The sound that Kaneki had somehow made in his sleep was more reminiscent of the animalistic callings of Yamata no Orochi than to any human noise.

Tsukiyama stumbled towards the bedroom, mindless to his disheveled state, and stumbled towards the bed in the dark, following the pained noises until his knees bumped into the mattress. He was able to make out the outline of Kaneki's body in the dim light, tangled in the sheets, twisting and turning with a pained look on his face. His eyes were half lidded, trapped somewhere between consciousness and a bad dream.

Tsukiyama reached out to wake him, not liking how the pained expression distorted his delicate features, only to be jerked down suddenly. The instant that Tsukiyama laid a hand on him, intending to wake Kaneki, he was yanked down by a limb with strength disproportionate to it's size. Tsukiyama was jerked onto the bed and Kaneki was perched above him, eyes wide and fearful, hand poised back, with his bruised black nails elongated into claws prepared to strike. In that moment Tsukiyama felt a pang of fear, at Kaneki's wide unfeeling eyes, before they began to soften.

They sat there for a moment, while Kaneki's grey eyes softened and gained lucidity, and his nails shrank back to their normal, blunt state. Tsukiyama could feel his body relax, as if tension was being released from a rope pulled taut. The slight body, too light for all the strength and power it displayed, sagged against him, before Kaneki dragged himself out of the bed and glanced around confusedly.

"Tsukiyama-San... What happened?" Asked Kaneki, an odd amount of apprehension in his voice.

"You don't remember?" Tsukiyama asked, curious as to how much Kaneki retained from the animalistic dragon form of Orochi. "You transformed into a large dragon, and Yomo-San, Uta-San and I subdued you. You collapsed from the venom of the spider yokai you fought, and we brought you here."

Kaneki glanced away, refusing to meet his eyes once he heard that. "Did I... Hurt anyone?" He seemed so scared and young in that instant, standing in the low light, hair mussed up and in his face, mottled purple under eye rings even more pronounced than usual, and misty grey eyes wide and scared.

"Non, non my friend. Just a scratch or two, easily healed using a sliver of our power." Tsukiyama said, purposefully omitting his still aching ribs. It was nice to see Kaneki making new faces, but worry and pain did not sit well on such beautiful features.

Kaneki sighed at this, and stood straighter, relieved. He then seemed to notice his state of dress, still wearing nothing but an oversized jacket and some bandages.

"Um, Tsukiyama-San, could you leave me alone for a moment?" He asked, glancing down at himself then away, cheeks flushed faint pink. Tsukiyama also noticed just how bare and simply gorgeous he looked, illuminated faintly by moonlight filtering through a window, and felt heat rush through his body. Tsukiyama was tempted to make a move right there, but recent events, and the exhaustion and soreness still weighting down his limbs dissuaded him. After one last lingering, hungry glance, he complied with the request.

"Very well Kaneki-kun. I will be nearbye should you need anything," now that the danger was passed, Tsukiyama felt that he was justified in the flirty smile he shot Kaneki on the way out the door. Kaneki, now his usual self, seemingly having recovered from the stressful day before, shot Tsukiyama a mild glare.

He exited his room a few minutes later, wearing loose sweatpants and a tank top that displayed impressively defined musculature in his arms and torso. Tsukiyama stared quite shamelessly, ignoring the slightly flustered glare he received in return.

Kaneki made his way to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "Tsukiyama-San would you like coffee? It's morning now, about five. I won't be sleeping again."

Tsukiyama couldn't help but wonder if that had less to do with the fact that it was morning, and more to do with the nightmares that he had been having. Perhaps those rings under his eyes were not simply due to the prodigious number of novels that Kaneki possessed.

"I would like some coffee, thank you." Tsukiyama said, returning to the couch and combing his hands through his disheveled hair, re tucking his shirt, and generally trying to make himself look less like he had passed out on a couch after getting in a fight.

When Kaneki returned with coffee, Tsukiyama was happy to drink it in companionable silence with him, while watching him subtly. It was stronger than most, though Kaneki drank it with no regard to his tongue, which was probably burnt at this point. Perhaps that was good, given Kaneki's despondent posture and hooded eyes, though his features were carefully blank, giving away nothing but a look of contemplation. The sun was rising, highlighting his pale complexion with rosy light.

Snapping out of his reverie, Kaneki turned to face Tsukiyama, setting his empty coffee cup on the table with a thunk, jarring in the early morning silence.

"Why didn't you follow my order and kill me then?" He asked abruptly, making Tsukiyama jump. The peace in the atmosphere was shattered by the piercing gaze that pinned Tsukiyama in place. "I was holding myself in human form for you. You should've done it. I probably would have recovered. I have advanced healing. I know that I hurt you, I can tell." Kaneki seemed relatively distressed, eyebrows creased in worry again. "My memory of when that happens is always fuzzy, but it's coming back slowly. I'm sorry for making you do this, but next time you can't hesitate." Kaneki said firmly, nails digging into his own palms.

Wordlessly, Tsukiyama stood, holding himself at full height, before striding around to stand directly in front of Kaneki, placing a finger under his pointed chin and tipping Kaneki's face up to him, drawing his eyes from where they were boring a hole in the rug. Tsukiyama then swept into an exaggerated bow, kneeling on the rug and taking a pale bony hand in his own. Kaneki's hand was bony and cold, stiff with tension and clenched in a fist. Tsukiyama massaged it until it relaxes open, and he pressed his closed lips to the sharp knuckles.

"You are my charge, my master, and I will never again disobey you. Is this satisfactory, Kaneki-kun?' He asked, maintaining his grip on Kaneki's hand, humid breath warming the cool skin. He glanced up, to need whose eyes set in flushed skin. Kaneki tugged his hand away and broke eye contact, seeming to be searching for a proper answer.

"... Yes. Tsukiyama-San, please get up. I appreciate your service." Tsukiyama rose, stepping back a little.

"I am your sword Kaneki-san. It is your right to use me as you wish." With one last coy smile, Tsukiyama swept towards the door, falling into a slight bow once more, before gliding gracefully out, calling a 'farewell ' over his shoulder as per usual.

Upon arriving at his own place of residence, Tsukiyama sat down, feeling the ache in his side more strongly. He found himself thinking of Kaneki, but not in the way that he normally did. Usually those that held Tsukiyama's fascination did so only in a physical sense, and indeed Tsukiyama did have fantasies of Kaneki flushed in early morning light, or backlit by moonlight in only his shirt, but now he found himself wondering how Kaneki slept, what sort of books he liked, and what exactly that nightmare had been about. Tsukiyama shook his head, wondering if the poor sleep was getting to him, and decided he needed a bath to decompress. His mind was not functioning as usual, and this was worrying. Kaneki Ken was a physical fascination. Nothing more, nothing less.

A/N: lol Tsukiyama is in denial. So yeah here's the aftermath of the fight, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you very much for reading, and please leave me comments criticized or suggestions. That would make me very happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Despite the fact that Kaneki's arrival at the building was stained by a worrisome encounter so quickly, it did give Tsukiyama an excuse to stick close to Kaneki wherever he went. Tsukiyama was even able to tailor his class schedule to allow him to find Kaneki during breaks, as he was a fourth year at the same school, albeit in a different major. Whenever Kaneki objected to the excessive closeness, all he had to do would be to bring up the first yokai attack, and comment how if he had some help fighting he would not have to push himself so far and lost control. A look of guild and a slight pout later and Kaneki would give up on that train of thought.

Tsukiyama sometimes felt guilt for manipulating Kaneki like that, but he squished it down. It was all means to an end, and that end would come all the sooner if he could get Kaneki to trust him. With this in mind, Tsukiyama insisted on 'helping' the younger boy study, though really all that happened was Tsukiyama showing up at Kaneki's apartment with books and then staring at Kaneki shamelessly while Kaneki did work.

Kaneki himself became close to the other tenants of the building quickly, even though his personality was quite introverted. Endearingly so, to Tsukiyama. Touka seemed to be trying to take him under her wing in her own harsh way, even though Kaneki was a year older than her. They spent time drinking coffee, with Kaneki trying to explain the convoluted plots of novels, and Touka telling him about what happened in judo club and how studying for entrance exams was going, and Tsukiyama had no choice not to stay a safe distance away, lest Touka get angry. Young Hinami also took a liking to Kaneki and his novel collection. This led to a number of casual evenings spent reading novels and helping Hinami with kanji that she didn't understand. Tsukiyama liked these better, because he could be with Kaneki, and see his gentle eyes, and hear his soft laughter while he interacted with the younger girl. She seemed to adopt Kaneki as an older brother, and he fell easily into the role. She would fall asleep in the evenings and be carried back to her mother by Kaneki and Tsukiyama.

Kaneki was not necessarily the picture of a healthy, normal college student though. His yokai aspect did affect his daily life, and Tsukiyama was more often than not there to witness it. A sort of darkness would sometimes creep into Kaneki's generally gentle and soft countenance, something that he never seemed to show to any of the other tenants, except Tsukiyama. Despite there being no incidents in the weeks following his arrival, Kaneki trained excessively, something he told Tsukiyama that he had been doing for years. Kaneki would sometimes spend entire days in a room in his apartment, training his muscles and running through different martial arts.

Tsukiyama very much enjoyed watching him work up a sweat, and sometimes Kaneki would abandon his shirt altogether, giving Tsukiyama a warm feeling at the sight of his sweat slicked muscles. His only way to access this sight, though, was to assist Kaneki in his training by serving as a sparring partner, which wasn't particularly fun, given that Kaneki held nothing back and sparred full contact using his yokai abilities. He always kept control though, explaining that he only lost it when particularly exhausted or close to death. Tsukiyama was forced to become inelegantly sweaty and exhausted in front of his little obsession in order to see the rarest and most carnal aspects of him. In the end it was often worth it, though. Kaneki would shower and offer to let Tsukiyama do the same, sometimes neglecting to replace his shirt on particularly warm days, and then the two of them would share coffee.

Instead of getting over his infatuation, Tsukiyama's attraction only grew as the days passed. With each new facet and quirk that Kaneki displayed, Tsukiyama just wanted him more. He wanted to be with Kaneki, to cuddle on cold nights, and drink coffee, and see him panting and red, crying out 'Tsukiyama' like it was the only word he knew, and wake up together, and he wanted to protect Kaneki and to possess him. Tsukiyama wanted Kaneki more than he had ever wanted a person before, and he wanted him more intensely and keenly than he had ever felt for another person. It was almost like a physical need to be around Kaneki all the time, and to Tsukiyama it seemed like if he was feeling this intensely, then Kaneki had to feel the same. If he was so attracted to the other boy, then it must be mutual.

One day, after a study session run long into the night, Tsukiyama decided to make a move on Kaneki, who was rubbing his eyes behind large round (adorable) reading glasses and yawning. He shifted his legs from their folded position and brushed soft, messy bangs from his face, and his eyes were heavy lidded, face slack as he tried to focus on his textbook.

"Why don't you take a break, Kaneki-kun?" Tsukiyama cajoled, intentions anything but pure.

"Hm? Oh... Yeah," he was interrupted by a gaping yawn there," probably a good idea. I might actually be done for tonight." Responded Kaneki, rising and picking up the coffee mugs left around. He headed towards the kitchen, sock covered feet scuffing against the carpet softly, and Tsukiyama followed.

As soon as Kaneki set down his coffee mugs, Tsukiyama caught his wrist, his larger hand basically enveloping the smaller appendage, and maneuvered his body closer to Kaneki. Kaneki stumbled backwards, unsure and clumsy, until his hips bumped the counter and movement stopped. Their bodies were pressed together, sharing warmth, and Kaneki was strung tighter than a guitar string. Tsukiyama took in his face from close up, ignoring the furrowed brows and tense muscles, absolutely sure of himself.

When he actually pressed his lips to Kaneki's, all did not go as planned. Kaneki kept his pressed in a stiff line, unwilling to give in to Tsukiyama's desperate ministrations. After a moment of shock in which all of Kaneki's muscles froze, he seemed to snap out of it, wrenching his face to the side and shoving Tsukiyama away with a hand on his chest.

Tsukiyama stumbled back, taking in Kaneki, who seemed to have walled himself off, back to the cold, closed off boy that he had met the first day in the building. His face was set in stone, grey eyes hard as granite, eyebrows drawn together, creasing the porcelain skin in between. The only signs to his discomfort were the slightly escalated breathing, and a pink flush to his cheeks.

"Tsukiyama-san, you should go now, it's late," Kaneki's eyes were ice, and they refused to meet Tsukiyama's own as he exited the apartment, confused and betrayed.

Kaneki didn't feel the same? Tsukiyama never felt attraction that extreme, never really minded a rejection because there was always a new infatuation, but Kaneki was different. It had seemed like if the attraction was that extreme, they had to be meant to be. Hardly anyone rejected Tsukiyama, ever. His status and looks and charm meant that he could have anyone. Why not Kaneki?

Tsukiyama made his way back to his own apartment, mind and heart in turmoil. He kept seeing those grey eyes, cold and walled off, the only discernible emotion being slight disgust, and it filled his chest with a dull throb, thinking about those eyes.

A/N: lol Tsukiyama has no fuckin idea what he's doing. I'm not sure how much I like this chapter but meh. Anyways, please leave me a comment it would make me very happy! Thank you so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Kaneki shut the door to his apartment, perhaps harder than was necessary at this time of night, and stumbled back to his couch, collapsing there, mindless of a stray page of notes getting creased. He buried his face in his hands, scrubbing at his weary eyes and wishing that his skin would stop crawling. His fingers found his lips, rubbing and trying to dispel all the lingering traces of warmth and contact, and he stumbled towards his shower to try and rinse the memory away.

As the water rolled down his skin and soaked his hair, Kaneki retreated into his mind, finding himself oblivious to the steaming air and scalding water. Tsukiyama would have to go. Or at least be avoided. Kaneki found himself unwilling to give in to the attraction that he felt towards the taller man. Attraction and physical contact was dangerous for him, now more than ever as Yamata no Orochi's voice grew ever louder, telling him to eat, _eat, consume_ , _destroy_... No he definitely had to distance himself. Tsukiyama and all his attractiveness is fake anyways, he told himself. Taukiyama wants to use me, I'm just a means to an end. I'm just another of his fleeting distractions. Kaneki told himself this, repeated it like a mantra, until all but the most stubborn and deep rooted thoughts had been washed away. The voices filled the absence, filling his mind with a darker yearning than what had occupied the space before. Kaneki yanked the toggle in the shower, turning the water icy cold, reminding himself who was in control, what was real. The voices aren't real, the voices have no power. His words ran in circles in his head, and the water ran in icy rivulets down his back, and when Kaneki turned the shower head off after an indeterminate amount of time and stepped out of the shower, he was shivering.

Kaneki could already tell that, like so many nights before, he would be getting no sleep, and so he made himself a cup of coffee and waited. As the gentle misty rays of light crept over the horizon, Kaneki thought of the first time that Tsukiyama had stayed here, after both sparing his monstrosity of an existence and saving his life. They had sat together on a morning similar to this, drinking coffee comfortably. He should not have let that happen. That was the start of the foolhardy closeness that had led to attachment, that would lead to separation.

The following days did indeed include separation, mostly of Kanekis own making. He found new haunts on breaks between lectures, or just rushed to his classes with no pause. His inevitable interactions with Tsukiyama, who remained his SS in name if nothing else, were cold and clipped, and he saw the hurt in Tsukiyama's eyes after every conversation. He found himself avoiding outside company in general, and the screaming in his skull only grew louder.

His only solace came in the presence of Hinami and her mother, usually accompanied by their stoic SS Banjou. Hinami's sunny disposition and Ryokou's motherly affection were enough to set Kaneki at ease, and silence the unrest pounding in his skull for hours or even days. Sometimes, without them, Kaneki would simply forget to leave his apartment until Ryokou sent hinami to invite him out to shop or eat at a cafe.

On one such occasion, Kaneki was shopping with them and left for just a few minutes, enough time to slip into a bookshop while Hinami and Ryokou sat in a cafe together. He exited, walking leisurely towards the cafe where they had sat, only about a block away. The sun felt nice, and a breeze kept things from being too warm. It was a tranquil day, of the sort where one could fall asleep comfortable in the sun. The atmosphere was shattered when a piercing scream sliced through the air, it's fading notes mingling with animalistic snarls, and rooting Kaneki to the ground as all of a sudden his heartbeat grew deafening and his feet turned to stone, body frozen in horror. The scream was in a voice that was all too familiar.

Kaneki swayed in place for just one moment before he broke into a dead sprint, time stretching out far too long, and he was moving slow, too slow. Kaneki could already sense what his mind refused to believe. Too late, it's too late the voices chanted loud, trying to drown out his pounding heart and sobbing breath, as he rushed to get to Hinami, who's voice had cried out in terror, and to Ryokou who was disturbingly unheard.

Kaneki skidded around a corner in time to see Ryokou standing in front of a cowering Hinami, who was sobbing. Ryokou must have seen him out of the corner of her eye because, even as demons, too many to count, tore at her flesh and scratched off ribbons of her skin, she still managed to mouth two crucial words at him. She looked unbearably heroic, arms spread and a mothers love glinting in her eyes, as she stood tall, shoving her arm into a creatures mouth instead of letting it get to Hinami, screaming as the skin and muscle was torn away and the bone was rent into pieces.

Hinami was crying huge tears, splattered with her own mothers blood when Kaneki reached her.

"We have to go, Hinami now, come on,"

he scooped her up, and she was light enough for him to carry with one arm. The other transformed, nails elongating and scales sprouting from the skin and with that the screaming grew even louder. He batted one of the demons away, this one bat like in shape, and he felt a dark satisfaction in the way that the membrane of the wings tore under his blow.

When Kaneki turned around, he caught sight of Ryoukou, and she seemed to be smiling, perhaps at her daughters escape, but perhaps it was a figment of his wishful thinking, because even as she seemed to smile, her body was torn beyond repair, skin hanging in flaps, blood splattered and staining the flagstones outside the shops and the jaws of numerous monsters that clung to her body. Kaneki closed his eyes but the image remained, branded there. Hinami caught sight over his shoulder, and reached past, futilely wanting to feel her mothers touch one last time. Kaneki clutched her head to his chest, wishing he had thought to do so, that he could have protected her, protected Ryoukou.

He didn't remember the journey back to the apartment, but when he arrived the cafe was empty, so he brought her to Manager Yoshimura. Kaneki didn't think she would want to be alone in her apartment, and Yoshimura was old, wise and carried an aura of power. He, most definitely, would know what to do.

The two of them were led to an office where Kaneki sat, head in his hands, as a coffee was placed in front of him, served in delicate chinaware and subsequently ignored. Hinami curled up next to him, sobbing and shaking. The next thing to happen, as Yoshimura still stood quietly in front of them, was that both Banjou and Tsukiyama rushed into the room, summoned by Yoshimura. each immediately and loudly assaulting their respective charges with questions. Kaneki curled even further into himself, trying his best to drown out the cacophony, and hold back the tears prickling at his eyes.

He sat through the meeting, barely raising his head or acknowledging the presence of others except when asked a direct question. Hinami was shunted off to stay with Touka, as the two had previously been close, and Banjou followed closely. This left Kaneki and Tsukiyama in the room together. Tsukiyama said something, maybe trying to get him to move. It might have been his second or third attempt, Kaneki didn't know. It wasn't until he felt a warm hand on his shoulder that he raised his head, his eyes meeting the concerned dark violet of Tsukiyama. It was the first time that the two had held eye contact since the kissing incident, and Kaneki quickly broke it, glancing away and too the side before Tsukiyama was able to see too far into his soul.

"Kaneki-kun, shall I take you back to your room?" For the first time that evening, Kaneki registered Tsukiyama's words. Unlike all those previously spoken, always with layers of intentional charm, meant to raise intrigue and allure, this voice was full of nothing but concern, and Kaneki was finding it hard to cling to his distrust, when he desperately craved someone to cling to and rely on.

Wordlessly, Kaneki allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, and walked to the elevator, not objecting to the supportive hand on his back. A sense of exhaustion overtook him once he entered his home, collapsing on the couch and all that he could think was that he didn't want to be alone, and so he fisted a hand in Tsukiyama's shirt, not bothering to consider any implications, and sat in silence, finally.

A/N: so I updated. Yay! Sorry this tool so long, but here you go, thanks for reading guys, I love you. Any comments, critiques or suggestions are completely welcome!


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